Arachnophobia
by CaribbeanAzure
Summary: Little Marian teaches little Robin that two can play the same game... AU


_Arachnophobia_

The wind blew Rebekah's long blond hair back over her shoulders. She turned her head briefly, as she ran, checking to see if she was being followed. She was! The five year old picked up speed, though admittedly she desperately wished that she was not wearing a dress.

She felt the grain sheaves brush past her as she raced through them. They were as tall as she was, but should she dare take the chance to lie flat on the dirt and hide, she didn't know. They surely would find her. Rebekah glanced over her shoulder momentarily - they were gaining!

Her heart pounded in her chest as he neared the safety of her house. Feet skidding upon the dirt in front of the door kicked up a whirl of dust as she came past. Diving in the entrance, Rebekah was breathing heavily - safe! Panting, she looked up to see the amused face of her Mother, Lynne. But it was another face that captured her attention even more. Dark chestnut tresses, sparkling eyes, and a smiling face - Marian.

Despite deep shaky breaths, Rebekah smiled broadly, "Hello Marian."

The older girl opened her lips to respond to the greeting, but a rather unsavory din occurred outside, "She made it!" The angry voice began to step inside the door, "Curse all- Marian! How nice to see you."

Marian raised an eyebrow, "Robin, Much. Are you staying here as well?"

The ten year old, Robin, placed his hands upon his hips, "As well? Does that mean that we have pleasure of your company?"

Marian sighed, "I don't know about the pleasure, but yes, I am staying till the end of the week. My Father is away on business…"

Robin broke into a grin, "So that means you'll be here for three days."

"Bravo, your skill with sums is improving," Marian said, turning to face Lynne Binder - her back to the three panting children. _All_ of them were little children as far as she was concerned. Rebekah let out a small gasp when Robin poked his tongue out, only to pretend he was licking his lips.

Marian had no doubt that he was doing something outrageous and she was not about to give him the satisfaction of looking. She continued on with her very adult conversation with Lynne, who was close to the end of her confinement. Being peasants though, Lynne did not have the luxury of resting and being waited on while she carried this latest child. She already had four children, all five and under mind you, to look after - not to mention the immature Robin and Much.

While Marian was unpacking her trunk, she feared for Rebekah's health - the child was jumping up and down, prancing about the room, and she was talking faster than a horse could gallop. Did she never be quiet? The truth was that no, Rebekah never stopped talking - Marian had no trouble believing this statement ever again. Rebekah was so excited to have the nine year old Marian staying with them, that she could have burst.

In the middle of Marian laying out her things, Robin walked into the room with an air of ownership and sat down on the straw bed. He pulled his feet up and under him. Marian cringed, "Get off the bed, you'll dirty it."

Robin chuckled, "Only babies like Little Lynne, who's two, _dirty _beds, Marian." He was in fact referring to one of Rebekah's three little siblings, one who was her Mother's namesake.

Concentrating on her unpacking, Marian said serenely, "Precisely."

Robin jumped off the bed in a huff, "Marian!"

She looked at him, her big eyes dancing, "I only speak the truth Robin."

Robin of Locksley scowled, "You jest."

"If that is what you want to believe," Marian folded another shirt. "But remember - many a true word is spoken in jest."

Robin grabbed Rebekah's hand in an attempt to remove her from Marian's bad influence, but she pulled back. "I want to stay here Robin," she stated firmly.

"Fine," her almost brother said. "But _remember,_" he mocked Marian's words to him. "Whatever she suffers," he pointed to Marian. "You suffer as well."

Rebekah stomped her foot and stuck out her tongue to Robin's retreating back. _She really needs to play more with the girls her age than him,_ Marian thought sadly, _Then maybe she wouldn't pick up all his bad habits._

Rebekah turned to face Marian, a smile upon her face, "What can I do to help?"

Images of rumpled and disheveled dresses and skirts danced through Marian's mind, "You can just sit and talk to me." _Maybe that was a mistake…_

Marian was just one sentence away from gagging Rebekah. This particular conversation had been going on for about an hour, Rebekah following the older girl everywhere she went, including outside. Marian had never thought that she would make a bad parent, on the contrary: she enjoyed children. But at this moment, if this was what having a little one was like, Marian was positive she would kill the father. How could Mother Binder want more of these little pests? Now she knew why Robin was slightly touched in the head…

"Rebekah," Robin called to the small girl. "Kate walked here, she'd like to play with you."

"But I'm talking to Marian," the five year old complained.

"Marian is staying here, you'll have plenty of time to talk. Kate, on the other hand, is here for just a little while. Go visit with her, you know she doesn't have that many friends."

Resigning herself, Rebekah left Marian's side and went to find Kate.

"Thank heavens," Marian breathed. "I didn't think she would ever stop. Rebekah has never acted this way before."

"Oh, she'll calm down soon. She's just excited because your staying for a few days. After she's done arguing with Kate for a few hours, Rebekah will be back to her old self - calm, sweet and less annoying."

"Why would she be fighting with little Kate?"

The ten year old Robin leaned against a tree, "They like each other enough, but Kate always has to be right and do things her way. Rebekah can hardly make a suggestion without Kate tossing it to the wind. But, it _will_ keep her occupied for a while."

Marian let a small smile grace her lips, "Did you get her?"

"Get who?" Robin said thoughtfully.

"You know who. Kate. Did you fetch Kate for Rebekah to play with?"

"Nothing gets by you does it," Robin smiled lopsidedly, but in his mind roguishly.

Seeing his cocky expression and knowing that he now expected her to be indebted to him, Marian spoke again, "I should rephrase that. You most likely sent Much to bring Kate here."

Robin's jaw fell open slightly, "Marian!" And he watched her storm off into the house.

* * *

Helping Mother Binder, gave Marian something to do and that is just what she was doing. Marian carried the bucket to the well and began to draw up some of the cool water when she heard Robin decisively telling Rebekah something. Marian strained her ears to hear but Robin was walking Rebekah back to the house and, therefore, past the well, "I don't ever want to hear you say that, got it?"

"Yes Robin," Rebekah murmured.

Marian poured the contents of the full bucket into the empty one, "What happened?"

Robin turned to look at her, "Kate said something she shouldn't have."

Not thinking, Marian queried, "What was it?"

Before Robin could tell Marian, 'later,' Rebekah piped up, "She said: dam-"

"That's enough!" Robin hollered. "I told you not to say it, and look what you go and say!"

"Sorry," was the small reply.

"If I ever hear you say it, or find out that you said it, I am going to tell Mother Binder and she'll stand you in the corner for the remainder of the day."

Marian couldn't help but laugh at the thought that she suddenly had. The young Lord of Locksley glared, "What, pray tell, is so amusing?"

In betwixt laughs, Marian choked out, "That is only if you aren't in the corner first."

"You wait, Marian. You just wait," Robin pulled Rebekah after him and into the house. Then he was observed grabbing hold of Much's sleeve and dragging him off into unknown regions.

* * *

There was no spare bed, so Marian was going to be sharing Rebekah's. The mattress was filled with straw, and Marian sadly knew that it would prick… It was seated upon a high frame, lessening the cold that could chance to seep up from the floor. Marian sighed, this was going to be a long three days and their escapades at the table didn't help to console her any.

At dinner all Robin could do was grin - a menacing insufferable grin. Marian hated to admit that she dearth the knowledge to know what he was about, and it frightened her to an extent. Not that she let on… Marian stared straight back at him, like for like, her unforgiving look as pronounced as his. Much gave Robin a slight shake, when he noticed that their glaring had turned into some sort of contest. Robin wiggled his shoulder away from his friend's hand, his eyes were unflinching. Figuring that is was no use, Much resigned himself and continued to wolf down his meal. By the time the plates were being gathered, not a soul knew who had been the victor.

With a gnawing feeling in her stomach, Marian watched Robin and Much quickly disappear after dinner. She didn't see them for the rest of the evening and that bothered her immensely. When Marian crawled into bed the action woke Rebekah, who had been placed there a couple hours earlier. "Marian," Rebekah said sleepily, rubbing her eyes.

Stroking her mussed up hair, Marian shushed her, "Shhh, go back to sleep."

The five year old yawned and rolled over - then sat up with a start. "What was that?" Rebekah whispered with frightened intonations.

Marian had to admit, the noise, a sharp growling, had caused her eyes to become wild with fear as well. She listened intently, placing a hand over Rebekah's mouth. Heart beating violently, Marian continued to strain her ears for any other sounds. There it was again! She gulped her heart back down into her chest, what was out there?

Rebekah squirmed under the older girl's hand, whimpering profusely. Marian pulled the little girl close to her, attempting to protect her from the beast - wherever it was. Suddenly, Marian stopped and relaxed her hand. "Stop crying," she told Rebekah, whispering harshly in her ear. The five year old stopped the sobs that were beginning to wrack her body. Marian continued, speaking directly into Rebekah's ear, "Listen." As they both sat silently, they overheard something - a giggle. Then another and another. Two sets of sniggers. Marian wanted to kill - Much and Robin to be precise.

She thought of several possibilities: she could reach under the bed and pull them out by their ears, she could run out and tell Mother Binder of the atrocious vermin under her bed, or - wait the vermin bit gave her an idea… She murmured into Rebekah's ear again, "Play along with whatever I say, alright?"

Nodding, the five year old wiped tears from her cheeks and sat patiently. "Rebekah," Marian said overly loud. "Did you kill that _**huge **_spider under the bed?"

Rebekah's eyes grew wide at the thought of killing a living creature, but she swallowed her protests and said what Marian was mouthing to her, "No, I thought you did."

Marian exhaled, "No, I didn't do it. That _**huge**_ black spider, must still be under the bed. I think that-"

However, before the nine year old could finish her thought, the two children heard a set of loud yelps and witnessed two figures dash out from under the bed frame. "Ha!" Marian cried, jumping off the bed to face her tormenters. "You're caught! What do you have to say for yourselves?"

Much was busy running his hands up and down his clothes, attempting to rid himself of any hairy spiders, "We were only trying to play a trick on you."

Robin quickly took their defense, "Yah, Marian. We just thought-"

Pushing him out of the door that she had swung open, Marian snapped, "One shouldn't think when one tisn't capable of the task!"

_

* * *

_

A/N Hi everybody! I just want to thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed it.

_**Please **__tell me if you did in the form of a review. You can even tell me if you didn't like it, I can't improve without help. I just realized that according to the BBC I have been spelling Locksley wrong. BBC spells it Locksley and I have been spelling it off of the old Robin Hood ballads - Loxley. This has been corrected and will now be spelled the proper BBC way. Sorry about that._

_Here is Rebekah's current family - remember there are more on the way:_

_James - Father_

_Lynne - Mother_

_Rebekah - 5_

_Clarion - 4_

_Don - 3_

_Lynne - 2_

_Gill Daniel - in the womb_

_This is part of my AU, hence the OCs. I hope that everyone was pretty much in character - please tell me *hint hint.* I do not own Robin Hood BBC but decidedly think that I was born quite a few centuries too late. _


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